Neru Leavasa

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Neru Leavasa
MP
Dr Neru Leavasa.jpg
Member of the New Zealand Parliament
for Takanini
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 October 2020
Preceded byElectorate established
Personal details
Born1983/1984 (age 37–39)[1]
Political partyLabour

Neru Asi Tuiataga Leavasa[2] is a New Zealand politician. He was elected as a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for the Labour Party in 2020.

Biography[]

Leavasa has lived in south Auckland for over 30 years. He earned his medical degree from the University of Auckland Medical School and was awarded fellowship of the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners in 2014.[3] Prior to entering Parliament, Leavasa worked for 12 years as a general practitioner in Māngere.[4][5]

He is married and has one child.[6]

Leavasa survived metastatic bone cancer as a teenager. He has only one lung and has a metal joint in one knee, and walks with a slight limp.[4]

Political career[]

New Zealand Parliament
Years Term Electorate List Party
2020–present 53rd Takanini 52 Labour

Leavasa was elected to the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board in the 2019 elections.[4]

At the 2020 election Leavasa stood for parliament for the Labour Party and was ranked 52nd on the party list.[7] He also ran for the Takanini electorate. Leavasa won the Takanini electorate by a margin of 7,724 votes.[8][9] Many, including University of Auckland political scientist Lara Greaves, had anticipated prior to the election that the seat would be won by National.[6]

Political views[]

Dr Leavasa depicts himself as a social conservative with a Christian faith background.[10] He opposed the 2020 decriminalisation of abortion, saying: "I come from a faith background, and so I won't move on my moral convictions. In regards to the abortion legislation, I would have, from a faith background and a conservative view, have voted against it."[11]

Leavasa wants the government to build more housing to accommodate Takanini's growing population and to also reduce the health risks from overcrowding.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ "Compare the candidates for Takanini — NZ Election 2020". Your complete guide to NZ Election 2020 — Policy. The Spinoff. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  2. ^ "Speech - New Zealand Parliament".
  3. ^ "Meet Neru". New Zealand Labour Party. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  4. ^ a b c "A few words from…Neru Leavasa". New Zealand Doctor. 6 May 2020. Archived from the original on 27 May 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  5. ^ Keogh, Brittany (6 August 2020). "Doctor, businesswoman among candidates for new Takanini seat". Stuff. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  6. ^ a b Keogh, Brittany (19 October 2020). "Labour's Neru Leavasa becomes MP for newest electorate, Takanini". Stuff. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Labour announces list for 2020 Election". New Zealand Labour Party. Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  8. ^ "2020 General Election and Referendums – Official Result". Electoral Commission. 6 November 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Election 2020: The 40 diverse new MPs entering Parliament". Newstalk ZB. 18 October 2020. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020 – via The New Zealand Herald.
  10. ^ a b Latif, Justin (6 August 2020). "Welcome to Takanini, the sparkling new seat in the 2020 election". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  11. ^ Latif, Justin (7 August 2020). "Abortion became legal in March – but it still divides Labour in South Auckland". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
New Zealand Parliament
New constituency Member of Parliament for Takanini
2020–present 		Incumbent
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